Reason Ricky Starks Debuted In WWE NXT Instead Of Main Roster Revealed

WWE

The reason Ricky Starks debuted in WWE NXT rather than Raw or SmackDown has been revealed.

On Tuesday’s go-home edition of NXT (February 11) Ricky Starks made his much anticipated WWE debut, appearing from within the crowd just one day after his AEW departure was made official.

While it was widely speculated that Starks would arrive in WWE when his AEW deal was up, there was questions regarding whether he would debut in NXT or move straight up to the main roster.

As we learned on Tuesday, NXT was the decision made and on Wrestler Observer Radio Dave Meltzer revealed why WWE decided to bring Starks to WWE’s developmental brand first, rather than Raw or SmackDown as they did with fellow AEW alum Jade Cargill and Penta.

According to Meltzer, the decision was due to WWE wanting to prove the value of NXT to investors by making sure enough people go through the development system.

He explained:

“With Ricky Starks, it’s like, ‘We’ve gotta get our percentages for our investors – 89% of the people at WrestleMania went through NXT’, or whatever the percentage that they say is.

“So it’s an investor thing. They want to prove that expenditure for NXT is valuable because everyone goes through it.”

If you use this transcription or any portion of it please credit WrestleTalk.com and link to this page.

Following Starks’ NXT debut Fightful Select noted that WWE’s WrestleMania 41 plans being locked in also factored into the decision, with the company unsure of how they’d fit Starks into their plans in the coming months.

According to another recent update Starks’ debut in NXT was originally planned to go very differently, with his early departure from AEW changing WWE’s creative plans – click here for full details.

For an update on Ricky Starks’ status ahead of tonight’s NXT Vengeance Day (February 15) check here.

If you use this transcription or any portion of it please credit WrestleTalk.com and link to this page.

Part of the reason for Ricky Starks starting in NXT is reportedly due to WWE wanting to prove the value of NXT to investors by making sure enough people go through the system:

"With Ricky Starks, it's like, 'We've gotta get our percentages for our investors – 89% of the people… pic.twitter.com/21Put0UupQ

— WrestleTalk (@WrestleTalk_TV) February 15, 2025

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